mmm-yoso – Page 130 – As in, yoso-silly, yoso-hungry, yoso-full, or best of all; mmm-delici-yoso!!!!! A San Diego based food and travel blog. An Ex-Pat Kama'aina and Friends explore food, restaurants, and travel from San Diego and points beyond.

Stuttgart – Weingut Franz Keller, Breakfast, and You Know Where We’re Headed Next, Right?

December 19, 2020 mmm-yoso Breakfast/Brunch, Germany, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

After dinner at Alte Kanzlei we headed back to the hotel. We took the "scenic" route, passing thru Schlossplatz once again. It was nice to see folks out and about…..everyone socializing (before Covid-19 of course), no one glued to their smartphone.

The "Golden Hour" was fast approaching and the square took on a different look in the light of fading afternoon

We decided to sit at one of the benches for a few minutes to just watch folks coming, going, and some were having a drink too!

We walked on over to the Neues Schloss and it looked quite stunning at this time of the day.

After which we headed back down Königstrasse……

And took a quick look at the Hauptbahnhof; the train station which was basically right across the street from our hotel.

As we were about to head into the hotel, the Missus and I spotted the external entry to the hotel restaurant…….there was a wine bar named Weingut Franz Keller next to the restaurant.

During our trip the previous winter, the Missus developed a fondness for the wines of Alsace and She was curious if She's enjoy German Rieslings and Muskats as well.

The prices were nice for half-pours, the wines aren't a sweet as American Rieslings, it was a nice digestif stop for us, as we had two glasses each.

The young man who Served us was so sweet, very kind, friendly…..a really nice guy and made the whole experience fun.

Weingut Franz Keller
Schillerstrasse 23
Stuttgart, Germany

Our train the next morning wasn't until almost 11am….so, we could sleep in…….which we kind of did. We usually wake quite early when travelling….well, check that, I wake early all gthe time these days. Our room had a nice view of the park next to the hotel.

Since we wouldn't be getting into our next stop until after 2pm; we decided to take advantage of the hotel buffet breakfast.

Which, like most buffet breakfasts in Europe was actually not too bad.

And after heading back to our room…where I actually took a perfect 20 minute nap, we were soon enough heading to our next stop; to the Missus's favorite city. You know where right?

Thanks for stopping by!

Stuttgart – The Stiftskirche and Dinner at Alte Kanzlei

December 18, 2020 mmm-yoso German Restaurants and Food, Germany, Travel

After a nice snack at Metzgerei Schneider, we explored and shopped for a bit more, until the Missus decided it was time to head back to the hotel and perhaps find a spot for dinner along the way.

While walking back we came across a grand looking church and since it was still open, we decided to have a look inside. A quick search on my phone indicated that this is the Stiftskirche, which dates back to the 11th century.

There are quite a few burials in the church as Stuttgart became the home to the House of Württemberg in the 14th century.

One side of the nave is lined with statues of the Counts of Württemberg.

And until 1677 all Württemberg rulers were buried in the church.

That's the tomb of Count Ulrich I and his second wife Agnes of Schlesien-Liegnitz, both of whom died in 1265.

There was another tomb with a name that I faintly recognized, but couldn't place until I got home and did some research. It's the tomb of Johannes Brenz a famous Reformer and Lutheran leader.

All told, we spent nearly an hour in the church. And there was a striking fountain in the square outside the church named Sparkassenbrunnen.

I did a quick translate on my phone expecting the name to mean something exotic or historic; instead Sparkassenbrunnen is translated to smoething along the lines of the ""Savings Bank Fountain". Apparently, there was a bank in front of this fountain in 1912 and in 1919 a fountain was built in this spot. The fountain was destroyed in World War II and this was created as a replacement in 1955.

As we crossed through Schillerplatz, I noticed a restaurant that I had on my short list for Stuttgart. Located in the former Chancellery Building, Alte Kanzlei serves up traditional Swabian Cuisine. While things seem pretty bright; this was the end of May and the sun didn't set until after 9pm. It was already nearly 6 and we thought we'd get something to eat here before heading back to the hotel. The place was actually quite busy.

Our Server was quite efficient and professional. Since we had eaten our sandwiches a bit later than usual; the Missus wanted to try the Asparagus Soup (since She loved all the asparagus we had during this trip).

The bread was quite nice.

The Missus enjoyed Her soup, which had a nice mild vegetal-sweet flavor with a clean finish. As for the almonds….well, we couldn't really taste them in the soup. There was a mild butteriness to the soup as well.

There was one dish that I had read about and wanted to try; Maultaschen, often called "German Ravioli"; it's basically meat mixed with spinach and onions in pasta. There were two variations on the menu. Our nice Server recommended the version coated with eggs and roasted.

Man, this was a lot of very hearty food for 12,9 €! Along with some simple boiled potatoes and a salad, this was enough for both the Missus and I. I'm glad we only ordered one main and the soup.

We found the Maultaschen to be quite mild in flavor, almost bland. The textures were interesting, but the pasta was mushy and filling was on the tough and chewy side.. The Missus loves anything with eggs….well, almost anything as She didn't care much for this. Not bad, but I really expected a bit more. Oh well, can't win 'em all, right?

The service was good and the prices very reasonable. And needless to say, I didn't leave hungry.

Alte Kanzlei
Schillerplatz 5
70173 Stuttgart, Germany

Takeout From Smack’N Guamanian Grill (Again)

December 16, 2020 mmm-yoso Guamanian/Chamorro

**** Smack’N Guamanian Grill has closed

I had a busy day in the office….it seemed non-stop from when I got in at 520….before I knew it……it was noon! I usually have lunch way before then. Since I was spending the whole day in the office and was famished, I decided to place an order from Smack’N Guamanian Grill. Man, had it already been 7 months since I ordered takeout from Smack’N? I guss time flies when you’re in pandemic mode…..

Anyway, I ordered, jumped in the car, drove over…..

I parked, waltzed in, my order was waiting, was handed my package, jumped back in the car, and drove back to the office.

Like the last time; I ordered the Chebot Plate, but replaced the cabbage salad with more kelaguen. And like before, my plate was fully masked.

Though I have to say; that BBQ Chicken wasn’t doing a good job of social distancing from the red rice or the kelaguen…..

Man, this was a ton of food. I barely finished one scoop of the nice and moist red rice, love how they place the chicken on the rice allowing the juices to add to the flavor, and maybe two pieces of chicken; well marinated, a bit on the chewy side, but still way better than most Hawaiian BBQ places. The chicken was perhaps a bit on the salty side; but it still had some nice sweet tones to it.

I had a bite or two of the kelaguen and saved the rest for the Missus, who said it was better than what She previously tried from Smack’N, though She still used what little finedene I still had in the fridge to “top it off”.

In my opinion the kelaguen still lacks coconut and spice, but has really good citrus tones, and wasn’t overly salty. It was also quite moist and more tender than what I’d had here before.

It seems like the food is improving here. For a kid from Hawaii, this really had the salty-sweet-soy sauce “comfort” flavors I’m familiar with. So no complaints….and heck I got two meals out of this. It’s not fancy or hip, but just solid good grindz……and I’ll take it over what I recently had (I was talked into) from L&L any day of the week.

Smack’N Guamanian Grill
9506 Miramar Rd.
San Diego, CA 92126
(858) 762-2544
Current Hours:
Mon – Thurs Noon – 7pm
Fri – Sat Noon – 8pm
Closed on Sundays

Shoyu Ramen To Go from HiroNori Craft Ramen

December 14, 2020 mmm-yoso Japanese Restaurants, Ramen

I usually really enjoy this time of the year……it's chilly (by San Diego standards) and I love my noodle soups. This year of course…..well, sucks. An acquaintance of mine has a relative who is an Optometrist, who told him this was "going to be his year"…..after all, it was going to be 20-20, right? Well that one went down in flames I'll bet? Anyway, back to planet Earth here. I had to drop something off at work for the Missus and was wondering how things were going at HiroNori Craft Ramen. I'd really enjoyed my visits and checked their website to find that online ordering was supported. So, I went ahead and ordered the Shoyu Ramen.

After doing my duty, I headed over to Hillcrest…..I hadn't been in this area since last year! I found parking a couple of blocks away from the restaurant down Sixth Avenue and walked on over to HiroNori.

My order wasn't quite ready, so I waited outside. This was a week before the latest lockdown, so folks were eating at the outdoor tables and such.

For some reason, all the folks walking up and down the street and people eating and such made me kind of uncomfortable. I found a quiet area with good spacing from other humans.

A few minutes later; the really nice young lady walked my order to me and I was off. I had a rather uncomfortable moment……I'm not sure why folks don't social distance at traffic lights. They just all crowded around me….I ended moving to the point that I was halfway back to HiroNori. Needless to say; I couldn't get the heck out of Dodge fast enough.

I got home, cleaned up, and set about unpacking my ramen.

Unlike Menya Ultra, the noodle and toppings are combined together and was rather hard to separate. So I could pour boiling water over it to unclump. I just went ahead and got things into a bowl and then set the broth to a nice simmer.

I then poured the broth around the edges of the bowl and slowly worked to unclump the noodles. This worked fine. Also because it took a couple of minutes, it also warmed up the ajitama, which was nice.

The egg was excellent, cooked perfectly. The charred chashu was wonderfully flavored and tender. The menma added a wonderful crunch and the mild bitterness of the spinach gave the whole bowl a bit more complexity.

The shoyu broth had the same slightly velvety tongue feel that I enjoy; but it was much more salty than I recalled, which basically cancelled out any other flavors.

Those noodles had held up very well and had that wonderful, pleasant toothsomeness that I had enjoyed on previous visits.

Overall a very nice bowl; perhaps a bit on the salty side, but I did enjoy it overall. I really enjoyed the noodles as well. Still my second favorite ramen in San Diego.

HiroNori Craft Ramen
3803 5th Ave.
San Diego, CA 92103
(619) 241-2856
Current Hours:
Open Daily 1130am – 8pm

Have a great and safe week everyone!

Munich to Stuttgart – Leberkäse From Metzgerei Schnieder (You know, it tastes like…..)

December 12, 2020 mmm-yoso German Restaurants and Food, Germany, Sandwiches, Travel

I'm sure I've mentioned this before. I love traveling by train; whether it's Japan (amazing) or Europe; or even the US I could easily spend an entire day on a train. The Missus though, does not have the same belief, though She does humor me. So, when I was in the planning stage for our visit to Munich, of course our final destination for the trip was Paris, I found that the "fast train" times from Munich to Paris timed in at a bit over 5 1/2 hours. The Missus does not want to spend more than 4 hours on a train, so I had to come up with a plan. Doing a bit of research; I found that train times for Munich to Stuttgart was about 2 1/2 hours and Stuttgart to Paris clocked in at a tad over 3 hours. After doing a bit of research; it seemed like Stuttgart might be a nice place to spend an evening. And so it came to be.

We were staying a short stroll from Munich Central Train Station and also staying right across the street from the Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof.

Our ride was uneventful and our room was ready when we arrived. We freshened up and, you know the Missus we headed out. The pedestrian only Königstrasse was literally outside our door. The shopping area consisted of mostly chain stores; you know H&M, Zara, and something called TK Maxx? We stopped in a food store and the Missus was immediately engulfed in Haribo products, which She enjoys.

The Missus was less than amused when I mentioned forgetting to tell Her that Haribo was founded in Germany. Anyway, it was a bit of over stimulation which caused purchasing paralysis and the Missus eventually lost focus and just bought a couple of items. So at least for the moment "Meine brieftasche wurde gerettet".

At the end of the street is a large and lovely square, Schlossplatz, the palace square.

It was a lovely day and this being the end of May (2019), folks were taking advantage of the lovely weather.

On one side of the square resides the Neues Schloss ("New Palace").

Along with other historic buildings like the Kunstgebäude ("Art Building").

Other historic buildings, a lot of green spaces and some interesting memorials.

That's the Memorial to Victims of Nazis above and the Mercury Pillar below.

By this time; the Missus and I wanted something small to eat. It was mid-afternoon and we just needed something to hold us until dinner. A block away from the Schlossplatz is the Markthalle (Market Hall), so I suggested we take a look there.

And while it was fun oogling the produce…..we spent an inordinate amount of time looking at white asparagus…..

Right at the other end of the Market Hall is another pedestrian street; Hirschstrasse. And as we strolled down the street, I saw this shop.

While the Missus had a seat; I decided to take a look. And though I wasn't able to read the menu…..

I saw a few things I was interested in and I think the friendly woman working got a kick out of me trying to figure things out. In the end, I got the Missus a Spam ummm, Leberkässemmel (remember the "sir…please no not say Spam….please……"). This was quite good; even better than what we had in Munich.

That roll was yeasty and crusty; the formed meat was fairly tender, and yes, it tasted like a cross between bologna and "you know what"…..

I enjoyed hat I had ordered even more; Paprika Leberkäse, which along with the good roll, was crisp around the edges.

Loved the pickles and red peppers that was studded in the meat. There was a slight smokiness to this as well. Really cheap (like 2 Euroes each) and (more than) enough to hold us until dinner.

Metzgerei Schneider
Hirschstrasse 8
Stuttgart, Germany

Hunger sated, we headed off back in the direction we had come from. The afternoon would soon be heading into evening and we still wanted to do a bit more shopping and exploring.

Thanks for stopping by!

It’s Fry-Day – Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings From Royal Mandarin

December 11, 2020 mmm-yoso Chicken Wings, Chinese Restaurants

Folks who've read this blog for a while know of my affection for Royal Mandarin's Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings. I don't have them very often, but it's a true guilty pleasure for me. And just the thought of not having access to it of plays that "mental" game with you…..yes, it's all in your head….but I recall having the same feeling when fire shut down Royal Mandarin at the end of 2009 (has it really been that long?) and having to wait six months until they finally reopened…..honestly, I've had longer periods of time between visits, but just the fact that you can't get something drives you crazy. Now I know that I could have gotten out of "my bubble" at anytime and driven down there….but for 8 months, even though we did takeout we limited our area. But finally, after both FOYs ("Friends of Yoso") Sandy and Junichi mentioned in comments how good those wings were and after returning from our roadtrip, where the Missus and I dined outdoors, I finally decided to get my fix.

RM opens at 9am….so at 9am, after finishing things up at the office, I called in for an order of S&P wings to go (for some reason I have the phone number memorized) and headed right down to the restaurant. Getting there right at 920, thinking that no one in their right mind would be doing ABCDE takeout at that time right? Wrong….

There were four parties ahead of me, each standing at the red tape "marker". Six people were waiting outside, well distanced, all had masks on. RM is currently only doing takeout. They had 4 people manning the elongated "counter" area and it actually took less than ten minutes for me to get my order!

Soon enough my entire car smelled of fried goodness….something that I would usually not enjoy, but in this case, it had been so long……

After plating, I sat on the back steps, Frankie wandering around somewhat aimlessly and had them wings.

It was just as good as I remembered. There are differences I did note. The batter these days isn't as thick, there's a bit more lightness to them, but the crispy crunch might be even better now. There seems to be less of the "secret ingredient", so no more "MS – heebie – geebies", but it doesn't seem to hurt the flavor. A bit more spice these days, but still pretty mild, good salt, and yes, there's still MSG, but I think it's used more judiciously these days. Of course, it could just be a case of "time makes the heart grow fonder".

And so, even though I still haven't had a sit down meal at a restaurant in San Diego since the middle of March; I did expand my range (I'm retiring that map). And so, thanks Sandy and Junichi, for reminding me how food can really bring comfort during these trying times!

Royal Mandarin Restaurant
1132 E. Plaza Blvd
National City, CA 91950
(619) 477-4151
Open Daily 9am – 10pm

Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe Opens in Clairemont Mesa

December 9, 2020 mmm-yoso Banh Mi, Sandwiches, Vietnamese Restaurants

**** Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe is now Banh Mi Express

During my last takeout visit from La Miche, I slowly pulled out of the parking lot taking a look across the street. Banh Mi Bakery and Café had been closed since……I dunno; March? And I was wondering what was going on with the spot. To my surprise there was a new sign up…..I did a double and triple take and then returned the following week to check the place out.

The name looked quite familiar, could it be???

So, on the way home to check on Frankie I stopped by and the place was open. The bakery cases left over from Banh Mi Bakery and Café now sit empty….though the now ubiquitous social distancing floor sign is there.

Of course, before I even ordered was, "is this place affiliated with Phuong Nga in City Heights?" To which the young man working said, "yes, same owners as the place next to Vien Dong Market."

I quickly looked over the menu….and sorry to say no Bun Rieu or Banh Cuon. Here it's all about the Banh Mi and Goi Cuon, with some rice dishes thrown in.

The young man told me that the bread for the banh mi is made on the site; much like it was for Banh Mi Bakery and Café. So, I just went ahead and ordered the "Special" (aka Dac Biet – $5.59). The bag with my sandwich felt pretty hefty.

And while in these photos the banh mi looks pretty much like most others; it was stuffed.

The bread was a lot crustier and a bit more dense than typical banh mi; but not in a bad way. These folks love their jalapenos as the two long, fairly thick slices span the length of the bread. Tons of pickled daikon and carrot as well. I didn't care much for the super thick stems of the cilantro.

Of course you're wondering about the filling, right? Well lookie here…..there's a double layer of everything.

It was, perhaps, a bit too much meat. But I did enjoy the thick layer of funky-earthy pate and would have just enjoyed the banh mi with that. This is quite a bargain for five bucks and change. And it really wasn't a gringo/fusion banh mi.

So, of course I decided to return and get the Banh Mi with Cha Lua and Pate.

The banh mi this time around was a bite lighter, though still crusty, but less chewy, making for a better sandwich.

Man, check out those huge slices of jalapeno. There's no "banh mi jalapeno roulette" going on here….it's literally in your face.

I was actually a bit disappointed in this sandwich as this time around; there was barely a smear of pate. Cha Lua, the pork roll was mild in flavor and a good smear of pate really helps to lift things.

The cilantro was better this time; no tough stems. There's still a generous amount of pickled veggies……but with not enough pate and the mild cha lua, things were really thrown out of balance. Like I always say, a good banh mi is about proportion….ratios are so important. It wasn't a bad banh mi by any means; but it's not something I'd return for.

I decided on one last visit to try other items on the menu. Since the other locations of Phuong Nga are known for their Banh Cuon; I thought I'd order the Tau Hu Ky; the bean curd skin wrapped shrimp paste on rice. I also ordered a couple of Goi Cuon Tom Thit; the basic shrimp and pork spring rolls. Again the bag felt pretty heavy. And upon bringing out the Com Tau Hu Ky…..

My first thought was, "man, that's a lot of rice". Which was a bit of an understatement as I could barely finish half of it.

Part of it probably had to do with the five small slices of bean curd wrapped shrimp paste; which was on the bland side. The nuoc mam cham was a bit too sweet as well. On the positive side; the bean curd skin had held up fairly well and was still crisp.

And then of course; that egg….which was actually my favorite item.

As is the m.o. with the banh mi; there were two thick and long slices of jalapeno and a ton of pickled veggies. So, I guess you can eat the rest of the rice with that?

As for the spring rolls. Well, these were some of the heftiest I've ever dealt with. It should have come with a warning sign, "contents under pressure".

Being huge and thick however is not the best thing when it comes to spring rolls.

As with banh mi, goi cuon depends on ratios and proportion as well. If this spring roll did actually explode; you would have been hit with "lettuce shrapnel" as it was basically one giant salad with some bun, perhaps a single leaf of mint. The pork and the very bland, overcooked shrimp was just window dressing in this case. The wrapper seemed more sticky than usual…perhaps it was trying to fend off all that lettuce?

In the end; I did enjoy that first banh mi; even if it was on the hefty side; the bread on my second visit was really good….there are places in San Diego who make their own banh mi and one of them especially makes a mealy-crumbly bread. That egg was so good….I wish they made a banh mi op la; a fried egg banh mi…maybe I'll ask next time. On my last visit, an older Vietnamese gentleman ordered three banh mi…….all grilled beef; so maybe I need to try that next. The prices are good, the portion sizes as well. So there's reason for me to return…..especially if they load on the pate like they did with that first sandwich.

Now….if they'd start serving Bun Rieu………one can always dream, can't they?

Phuong Nga Bakery and Cafe
9353 Clairemont Mesa Blvd. Suite H1
San Diego, CA 92123

Road Trip (During Covid-19) – Harmony, Cambria, and Dinner at Madeline’s

December 8, 2020 mmm-yoso American/New American Restaurants, French Restaurants, Memorable Meals, Paso Robles/Cambria/San Luis Obispo County, Road Trip, Travel, Wine Bars/Wineries

**** This is kind of a long one; so you might want to save it for when you more time to read.

We headed out from Morro Bay for Cambria where we'd be staying for two nights. But there was one stop to make. In doing my research for this trip, I'd come across a little town about 15 miles North of Morro Bay and 5 miles south of Cambria named Harmony. Population 18. Yep, you read that right, 18. At least that's what "Gladys the Town Cow" says.

Once upon a time the community was a dairy settlement; originally established by Swiss and Italian immigrants. There was a lot of competition which led to intense rivalries; which eventually resulted in a killing, you can read about it here, along with how a desire to restore peace, the town was named "Harmony". Eventually, the creameries closed down. For many years, the only business in the one street, one block town was the post office. Now, it has a winery, and is home to a small group of artisans who produce pottery and blown glass. It has a fun, funky feel to it. Along with the Gladys the cow; there's the "Holy Cow" to the right which celebrates the history of the town.

We spent about an hour in the town visiting the two businesses; the pottery shop and the glass works, purchasing a couple of gifts along the way.

There's also a Creamery and Dairy shop; basically an ice cream shop which was closed during our visit.

There's also a charming and plain adorable Chapel. After all; like the tag line goes for the Chapel's website goes: "Shouldn't every wedding begin in Harmony?"

You can read more about the venue here.

The little town was such a pleasant and fun surprise, we're glad we stopped by and will probably do it again in the future.

Harmony Pottery Works
2191 Old Creamery Rd.
Harmony, CA 93435
Hours:
Daily 10am – 5pm

Harmony Glassworks
2180 Old Creamery Rd.
Harmony, CA 93435
Hours:
Daily 9am – 5pm

After our visit we drove the short distance to Cambria. I'm not sure why I picked the village, but it turned out to be a wonderful stay. We were staying at the El Colibri Hotel & Spa, right on the otherside of Highway 1 from the village. The actual shopping area is made up of the East Village and the West Village which is separated by about a half mile. Since we were still quite early for check-in, we headed to the charming East Village to do some shopping.

We found parking and went about our way. When doing research on Cambria two things kept coming up; Linn's, which has a restaurant, café, a boutique/bookshop, and a gourmet goods store in town. And a Farmstand about 5 miles out of town. The second thing I read about were Olallieberries, a cross between Loganberries and Youngberries developed at Oregon State in 1949. Even though it was developed in Oregon, growing it there proved difficult and it is mainly grown in Central California. And Linn's is know for their Olalliberry Pies and preserves.

We ended up buying a bunch of preserves for friends and some "hot jelly" (to have with cheese).

We walked around a bit more; then headed to our hotel. While our room wasn't quite ready, I had a plan for our afternoon anyway. The El Colibri is located right at the South end of the Moonstone Beach Boardwalk; which is why I chose the place. And so we headed off and did the approximately three mile walk along the boardwalk. It was easy and picturesque.

Of course we had some "supervision" along the way.

We enjoyed the walk.

There were very few people along the way.

One of our lasting memories of Cambria are the benches; which we first started seeing along the Boardwalk.

This one is one of my favorites….for some reason; I just fine the location somewhat romantic.

As I guess many other folks do.

It was a nice little jaunt for the afternoon.

We got back to the hotel, checked in, freshened up….I check in at work to make sure things were going ok.

After relaxing for a bit we headed out to dinner. I'd picked a restaurant named Madeline's. First off, it was in walking distance. Second of all; the wine by the glass list looked really good. During the day, along with serving lunch, Madeline's is a wine shop until 5pm. I'd made reservations for outdoor dining at 530 pm. So, with the sun setting, we headed out, crossed over Highway 1, onto Main Street, pass the Gas Station….we were a bit early and the Missus wanted to do some shopping. Unfortunately, it seems like many of the shop were closed due to Covid-19.

We did stop in at a shop named Bali Gems. The owner was so nice; we chatted for almost a half hour. He told us that the stones found on Moonstone Beach aren't really Moonstones, but a combination of different minerals like agate, jasper, and such. He asked us where we'd be having dinner and when I mentioned Madeline's, I was told that it is the "best restaurant in town", and not like other "touristy" places. He also provided a nice little map for us. The Missus really wanted to buy something, but couldn't find anything to Her taste….maybe next time….

We got to Madeline's and were seated promptly at a nice table….everything was spaced out wonderfully and the heaters worked well. Our Server was a very nice fellow whose name I believe is Oscar. He was efficient, very knowledgeable, and had the perfect combination of professionalism and friendliness. As we often like to do; we ordered a bunch of appetizers making our own tasting menu.

The bread was nothing to write home about.

The Missus picked Her wine, though I waited until our first dish arrived; the Diver Scallops ($18).

The scallops were nicely seared, still wonderfully rare in the middle. The searing added a nice crispness that held out well. The beurre blanc wasn't too heavy with some nice acidity. I went ahead and ordered a Viognier which went quite well with this. Strange, the Missus had never had a Viognier before???? She loved it and because Madeline's is a wine shop; actually ordered a bottle to take with us……which She's enjoyed here at home.

The Spanish Octopus ($18) was cooked perfectly; tender, with the slightest pleasant toothsomeness.

Nice smokiness, the citrus tones came thru nicely to cut the saffron. By this time; I just trusted Oscar to pick a wine to match. He was awesome; he ended up picking wine that weren't on the "by the glass list"; but rather had been part of tastings that afternoon.

The only dish we didn't enjoy much was the Stuffed Quail ($16).

The lemon beurre blanc overwhelmed everything on the plate and while the wild mushroom stuffing had very nice earthy-nutty-mildly sweet tones; the quail was really dry and tough. Oh, but the wine chosen for us…..by this point, the Missus and I were just sharing a single glass that was picked for us.

Sorry to say I never got a shot at the acorn squash in the Fall Salad ($11), but the Missus assured me that it was quite good.

I really enjoyed the mild bitterness of the baby arugula, combined with the mild, almost spicy flavor of the Gorgonzola, and the balanced tartness of the pomegranate vinaigrette.

The Missus enjoyed Her Chocolate Truffle Mousse Cake ($11).

While I had a nice digestif to finish things off.

This was a nice meal. But, as is often the case, it's the staff and service that elevated the meal, into something memorable. We'll be back!

Madeline's Restaurant & Wine Tasting Room
788 Main St.
Cambria, CA 93428

Dry Pot to go from Sizzling Pot King

December 7, 2020 mmm-yoso Chinese Restaurants

**** Sizzling Pot King is now Zhang Liang Malatang

Funny how the term "out of sight, out of mind" really holds true. With the rather limited amount of driving we do these days; we tend to forget about places we enjoy. And with the pandemic raging on; we all need that little bit of enjoyment in life; whether you like art, movies, cooking, or eating, we need those moments. Last week, I asked the Missus why, in spite of the chilly weather, She hasn't wanted the dry pot from Sizzling Pot King. I got a wide eyed look and a laugh…..and guess what I went to pick-up for dinner?

I basically walked into the dining area; which looks like a fairly messy storage area these days. Placed my order, went back to the car and fifteen minutes later our dry pot to go was packed.

The large dry pot is now $32.99…..we've stuck with the combination we enjoy; numbing hot (mala), medium spice, tripe and pork intestine, with frozen tofu ($2.99) added. There's currently a 10% discount for cash transactions; but I paid the full price with a tip.

I did notice some differences when I opened the tray up at home.

The portion size seemed smaller. Indeed whereas a pan used to be three full meals for the Missus and I; this was just enough for two. Also, the cauliflower…..SPK used to use Fioretto, what we called Chinese Flowering Cauliflower, which has an amazing texture and nutty-sweetness, has now been replaced with regular broccoli.

Still, the Missus really enjoyed this…it was nice a numbing-hot…..we both got a nice little "buzz". The tripe was perfectly prepared, no off flavors with a nice crunchiness, and the intestine had a bit of chew and a wonderful, light funkiness. The "frozen" tofu seemed a bit soft for our taste….but the Missus scarfed it all up with no problem. She has a thing about the potato and mung bean sprouts in this as well.

Here's an old photo for comparison. I'd say it's even more spicy these days.

Still, the Missus really enjoyed this so much that She requested an encore, hoping that they'd be back to using cauliflower; but no such luck.

Regardless, we still enjoyed this, and like so much that is going on now, we're just thankful that the Missus and I can enjoy what we consider to be comfort food.

Sizzling Pot King
8058 Clairemont Mesa Blvd.
San Diego, CA 92111
(858) 279-0088
Current Hours:
Mon – Sat 11am – 10pm
Sunday 11am – 930pm

What has been giving you comfort during these difficult times?

Munich – Odeonsplatz, Max-Joseph-Platz, Hofgarten, and Dinner at Schiller Brau

December 5, 2020 mmm-yoso Beer, Gastropub, German Restaurants and Food, Germany, Munich, Travel

Yes, I'm trying to work thru my backlog of travel posts….so please bear with me.

After a caffeine break at Dallmayr, the Missus was ready to tackle the rest of our "stroll"….. right up the street is Max-Joseph-Platz, named after Maximilian I, the first king of Bavaria whose statue is the centerpiece of the square.

The square also houses the National Theatre and the Residenz, once the royal palace of the House of Wittelsbach which once ruled over large swatches of Europe; Bavaria, Sweden, Greece, Denmark, even the Holy Roman Empire!

We headed up to yet another huge square; Odeonsplatz. Which is crowned by the Feldherrnhalle ("Field Marshals' Hall"). But first there was something I wanted to see; a street named Viscardigasse. Notice the gold cobblestones in this pedestrian only street.

When Hitler came to power, he created a memorial to the "first matyrs of the Third Reich" in the Beer Hall Putsch. All Germans were required to do the Hitlergruss (Nazi Salute) upon entering the Odeonsplatz. Viscardigasse became an alternate route where people could avoid having to perform the salute. The street is also known as Drückebergergasse ("Shirker's Alley"). The cobblestones memorialize this act of civil disobedience.

The Odeonsplatz was created by the House of Wittelsbach. The Feldherrnhalle looked looked quite familiar to us.

The other structure that got our attention was the Theatinerkirche which was built in the latter half of the 17th century.

If we hadn't already done so much on this day, we'd have visited….but man, we'd already done quite a bit.

We walked pass the Residenz.

And the striking Bavarian Chancellery…..

To what was once the royal garden of the Wittelsbachs; the Hofgarten.

It's a striking, relaxing, and elegantly beautiful green space.

There was a wonderful pianist playing in the Pavilion of Diana; which is in the center of the park.

One of the enjoyable parts of this visit was coming across interesting memorials and landmarks. I was curious about that rather simple stone memorial above. I took a photo and looked it up when we got back to the apartment later that evening. I found out that this is the memorial to the Trümmerfrau ("Rubble Women") who helped to clear and reconstruct Germany and Austria after all the destruction of World War II. And while there's some disagreement about the amount of women and such; I still found it quite touching.

I also noticed the fountain to my right….which seemed to have Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf on it. Turns out; it's called the "Wolfsbrunnen" (Wolf Fountain) which was created in 1904 by sculptors Heinrich Düll and Georg Pezold.

From here we headed down the very busy and quite touristy street known as Platzl, with the required Starbucks, Hard Rock Café, and a place that was recommended to me by a couple of folks. A famous beer hall named Hofbräuhaus. It was quite busy….

And quite touristy; which is not a bad things since; well, we're tourists, right? But this was a bit much for us….it seemed like every cliché was in fine form here; the Tyrolean Hats? Check. Lederhosen? You bet? It was just kind of overwhelming for us….. I guess Augustiner-Keller is more our speed.

We decided to head on back to the apartment and figure out where to stop for dinner. The Missus had fun doing some shopping along the way.

We made our way back to the apartment and relaxed for a bit. We weren't super hungry and I basically wanted some snacks and a beer (or three). There was a brew pub that we kept passing everyday named Schiller Brau, located in the MK Hotel München City. It would turn out to be just what we needed after a fairly busy day.

I was quickly told that the special beers are brewed onsite……..and I got a Helles; the Missus Weissbier. I really enjoyed the lightly hoppy, hazy, full bodies Helles.

We started with the "trio of spreads".

Which came with a nice, slightly dense pretzel. We both loved the slightly funky "cheese spread" (Obatza) which had some onion and a bit of smokiness went really well with the pretzel. The apple lard spread (Griebenschmalz) was a bit on the lighter side, but fine. The potato salad was routine and filled out the trio.

One of the reasons we had dinner here was that the Missus saw that the place had a special for the evening……white asparagus. She was still thinking about how much She enjoyed what we had at Plachutta Wollzeile in Vienna.

This was prepared quite simply; which we believe was for the best as we could really enjoy the sweet-slightly bitter-vegetal flavors. The texture was firm but not chewy……simple is best sometimes, right? The potatoes were perfect in texture…and heck; we didn't even use the sauce.

As this was our last evening in Munich; I have sort of a tradition of having a beer (or two) back in our room/apartment. So, I went ahead an bought two bottles of the Helles. In what was a very nice gesture; our Server gave us two Schiller Brau bottle openers as a gift.

One of which I carry with me when we travel. It reminds me of the joys of traveling and all the amazing folks we've run across over the years. I was just looking at it wistfully earlier in the week. It's resting right now; but hopefully soon I can put it to use again.

Schiller Bräu
23 Schillerstrasse
80336 Münich, Germany

Thanks for stopping by!